Israel opens fire across border with Lebanon

Lebanese soldiers stand guard, center, as people carry a Palestinian man, front left, after he was injured when Israeli soldiers opened fire at protesters who approached the border with Israel during a rally in the southern border village of Maroun el-Rass, Lebanon Sunday.

JERUSALEM >> Israel’s military spokesman says soldiers have opened fire at a large crowd of Lebanese protesters who approached the border with Israel.

Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai says soldiers fired at the crowd when the demonstrators reached the border and began vandalizing the fence. He says the army is “aware” of casualties on the other side.

The demonstration came as a large crowd of protesters also tried to cross into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from neighboring Syria. Channel 2 TV says four people were killed.

Mordechai says dozens of people have crossed, and troops are still working to stop the crowd from entering. He had no details on the number of casualties.

Mordechai called Sunday’s unrest a provocation by Iran, an enemy of Israel that supports militant groups fighting Israel.